Leather, hide, or skin drying and stretching frame.



P. J. DUNN. LEATHER, HIDE, 0R SKIN DRYING AND STRETCHING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5,1916- 1,180,023, Patented Apr. 18,1916.

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P IEI-LI.DUI I ATTORNEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH :0. WASHINGTON. D- C P. J. DUNN. LEATHER, HIDE, 0R SK IN DRY ING AND STRETCHING FRAME.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. 5, i916.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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LEATHER, HIDE, OR SKIN DRYING AND STRETCHING FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 118, 1916,

Application filed February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known "that 1, PETER J. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather, Hide, or Skin Drying and Stretching Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tocharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements in that class of apparatus or devices used for the purpose of stretching leather, hides or skins; and, the present invention relates, more particularly, to that class of leather or hide-stretching frames provided with a ridge-bar or piece, upon which the skin or hide is supported upon a line extending centrally and longitudinally of the hide or skin, from the neck to the butt-portion of the hide or skin, so that the latter is mounted for drying and stretching purpose upon both sides of the frame.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a simply-constructed and readily and easily operated leather or hide-stretching apparatus or device of the general character hereinafter set forth in which the leather, skin or hide is supported to stretch the same to its fullest capacity without danger of weakening or damaging the hide or skin during the drying process; and, furthermore, provide a stretching and drying frame by means of which all the puckers, creases and other uneven spots in the leather, hide or skin are removed, and the latter is evenly and uniformly stretched in all directions to its fullest extent, while at the same time increasing the valuable surface-area of the leather, hide or skin.

Other objects of the present invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel leather, hide or skinstretching apparatus or device hereinafter set forth; and, the said invention consists,

furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said parts, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in .the clauses of the claim which are appended ing taken on line H in said Fig. 1, look- '1 ing in the direction of the arrow c. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional representation of the frame, said section being taken on line 55 in said Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a similar section taken on line 66 in said Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the said above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said figures of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the complete leather or hide-stretching and drying frame, the same comprising two end-members, as 2 and 8, made of any suitable material, which are rigidly connected and tied by means of a cross-bar 4, said bar 4: having suitably connected therewith and extending in an upward direction therefrom a brace, as 5. Suitably secured to the upper end-portions of the said end-members 2 and 3 and to the upper end-portion of the said brace 5, and upon the opposite faces of said end-bars and said brace, by means of pins or screws, as 6, or other suitable fastening means, are a pair of longitudinal top-members or bars 7 and 8, upon the upper edge-portions of which is suitably mounted a ridge-bar or member, as 9, which is preferably of the configuration shown. Upon their opposite end-portions, the said end-members 9. and 3 are preferably slotted, as at 10, and slidably disposed upon the opposite faces of the said end-portions of said end-members 2 and 3, are a pair of slides, as 11 and 12, termed in the art as belly boards. The said boards 11 and 12 are mounted in their slidable arrangement upon the opposite faces of the said end-members 2 and 3 by means of any suitable means. preferably by means of the usual bolts 13, which extend into and through the said slots 10, and have their heads 14 and nuts 15 in retaining engagement with the outer faces of the respective boards 11 and 12, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of the several figures of the drawings. Secured upon the inner face of one of said boards, as 12, by means of screws 16, or other suitable fastening means, is an arrangement of plates, as 17 18 and 19, the

respective plates or elements being suitably spaced apart, with relation to one another, so as to provide receiving spaces 20, the said plates or elements being, furthermore, formed in their respective endportions with "ecesses or cut-away parts, as 21, all for the proper arrangement therein, against turning, of the feed-nuts 22, substantially as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6 of the drawings. Mounted in the said spaces 20 and in the said nuts 22 are operating screws or swivelolts, as 23, the screw-threaded shanks of the said screws or bolts working in said nuts 22, as will be understood from the said drawings, and being provided at their outer end-portions with eyes or loops, as 24,

for the arrangement therein of turning rods by means of which the said screws or bolts 23 may be rotated. Other means may, however, be provided for rotating the said screws or bolts, as will be evident. The opposite or inner end-portions of the said screws or bolts 23 are operatively connected with the said crossbar 4, in any suitable manner, one method here shown, being to ha e the end-portions of the said screws or olts extend through perforations, as 25, in

the said cross-bar 4, and perforated plates, as 26, upon the opposite faces of said bar 4, the said screws or bolts 23 being held against displacement from the said bar by an arrangement of collars 27 and 28, suitably pinned upon said screws or bolts, as at 29, as shown in the several figures of the drawings. As has been stated, any other suitable means may be employed for rotata bly fixing the said end-portions of the screws or bolts 23 to the said cross-bar 4, as will be understood. The arrangement of these various devices and parts is such that, by rotating the screws or bolts 23 in either direction, and the nuts 22 being held against rotation, but being thus made to move longitudinally upon the screws or bolts and 00- operating with the recessed or cut-away end-portions 21 of the respective platesor members 17, 18 and 19, the said belly boards 11 and 12 will be moved in correa sponding directions upon the end-portions of the end-bars 2 and 3, either for the purpose of stretching the main portions of the hide or skin, prior to drying, or for loosening the hide or skin afterit has been dried, as will be. clearly evident.

In connection with the arrangement of character 30, and which I have termed the neck-board. This device consists, essentially, of two plate-like members 31 and 32, of suitable configuration, which are disposed upon the opposite faces of the said endmember 2, the said members 31 and 32 being suitably connected at one end by means of a pin or stud, as 33, or other suitable tying means, and at their other ends said members being connected by a yoke-shaped device, as 34, the part 35 of said device being made with a screw-threadedhub or nut-shaped enlargement,-as 36. Rotatably mounted in a perforation, as 37 with which the said endmember 2 is formed, is an operating screw or swivel-bolt 38, the screw-threaded shank of said bolt working in the said screwthreaded hub or nut-shaped enlargement 36, and being provided upon its outer end-portion with an eye or loop, as 39, for the arrangement therein of a turning rod by,

41 and pins 42, substantially as shown in 7 Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings. 3 In like manner, there is slidably disposed upon the endbar or member 3, between the cross-bar 4 and the top-membersor bars 7 and 8, a stretching device which is generally designated by the reference-character 43, and which I have termed the butt-board. This device consists, essentially, of two plate-like members 44 and 45, of suitable configuration, which are disposed upon the opposite faces of the said end-member 3, the said members 44 and 45 being suitably connected by means of pins or studs, as 46, which extend into and through elongated perforation or opening 47 in the said end-member 3, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. At their forward ends, the said members are connected by a yoke-shaped device, as 48, the part 49 of said device being made with a screw-threaded hub or nutshaped enlargement, as 50. Rotatably mounted in a perforation, as 51, with which the said end-member 3 is formed, is an operating screw or swivel bolt 52, the screwthreaded shank of the said bolt working in the said screw-threaded hub or nut-shaped belly boards mounted upon the opposite enlargement 50, and being provided upon its outer end-portion with an eye or loop, as 53, for the arrangement therein of a turning red by means of which the said screw or bolt may be turned. @ther means may, however, be provided for rotating the said screw or bolt, as will be clearly evident. The said screw or bolt 52 is rotatably held in the said perforation 51, against displacement there from, by an arrangement of retaining collars 5 1 and 55 and pins 56, substantially as shown in Figs. :2 and 5 of the drawings.

The operation of the stretching devices and parts of the main stretching and drying frame will be clearly understood from the foregoing description of the said device and from an inspection of the several figures of the drawingsillustrating the same, and it is therefore deemed unnecessary to further describe the workings and operations of the several parts with relation to the stretching in the direction of the arrow 2, of the main body portions of the hide or skin, upon opposite sides of the frame, with the hide or skin supported uponthe upper ridge-member or bar of the frame; and with relation to stretching the neck-portion of the hide or skin, in the direction of the arrow u, by means of the stretching device 30, and of the butt-portions of the hide or skin, in the direction of the arrow '0, by means of the stretching device 43.

I am fully aware that various changes may be made in the general arrangements or combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said parts, and in the means of operating the stretching devices, without departing from the scope of my present involition. Hence, I do not confine myself to the exact :tirrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in the foregoing specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim i 1. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising a pair of endmembers, a connecting ridge-bar upon which the hide or skin is adapted to be supported, and a tiebar connected with the said end-members, a main stretching member slidably connected with the free end portions of said end-members, consisting of faces of the said end'portions of said endi'nembers, bolt-receiving nuts mounted between said belly boards, swivel-screws or bolts mounted in said nuts and rotatably connected with said tie-bar, means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts for retating the same, and a stretching device mounted upon each end-member between the ridge-bar and the tie-bar, said stretching devices being movable in opposite directions with relation to each other and at an angle to the direction of the movement of the said main stretching member.

2. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising a pair of end members, a connecting ridge-bar upon which the skin or hide is adapted to be sup ported, and a tie-bar connected with the said end-members, said end-members being formed with elongated slots, a main stretching member slidably connected with the free end-portions of said end-members, consisting of belly boards mounted upon the op posite faces of the said end-portions of said end-members and above the said elongated slots, tie-bolts connected with the said belly boards, said bolts extending into and through said slots and being slidably arranged therein, bolt-receiving nuts mounted between said belly boards, swivelscrews or bolts mounted in said nuts and rotatably connected with said tie-bar, means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts for rotating the same, and a stretching device mounted upon each end-member between the ridge-bar and the tie-bar, said stretching devices being movable in opposite directions with relation to each other and at an angle to the direction of the movement of the said main stretching member.

3. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising a pair of endmembers, a connecting ridge-bar upon which the skin or hide is adapted to be supported, and a tie-bar connected with the said end-members, said end-members being formed with elongated slots, a main stretching member slidably connected with the free end-portions of said end-members, consisting of belly boards mounted upon the op posite faces of the said end-portions of said end-members and above the said elongated slots, tie-bolts connected with the said belly boards, said bolts extending into and through said slots and being slidably arranged therein, a plurality of plate-like elements arranged between said belly boards, said elements being spaced apart to provide receiving spaces, said elements being further formed in their respective end-portions with cut-away parts, boltreceiving nuts mounted against turning in said receiving spaces and cut-away parts, swivel-screws or bolts mounted in said nuts and rotatably connected with said tie-bar, means connect ed with said swivel-screws or bolts for ro tating the same, and a stretching device mounted upon each end-member between the ridge-bar and the tie-bar, said stretch ing devices being movable in opposite di rections with relation to each other and at an angle to the direction of the movement of the said main stretching member.

4. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising end-members, and a connecting ridge-bar upon which the hide or skin is adapted to be supported, and

posed upon the opposite faces of said end-.

members, a yoke-shaped element connected with each pair of said plate-like elements, a screw-threaded nut-like enlargement connected with each yoke-shaped element, swivel-screws or bolts mounted in said nutlike enlargements and rotatably connected with the end-members of the drying and stretching frame, and means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts for rotating the same.

5. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising end-members, and a connecting ridge-bar upon which the hide or skin is adapted to be supported, and a stretching device mounted upon each end member, each stretching device consisting of a pair of plate-like elements slidably disposed upon the opposite faces of said end members, a yoke-shaped element connected with each pair of said plate-like elements,

a screw-threaded nut-like enlargement connectcd with each yoke-shaped element, swivelscrews or bolts mounted in said nut-like enlargements and rotatably connected with the end-members of the drying and stretching frame, and means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts for rotating the same, combined with a main stretching member slidably connected with the free end-portions of the said end-members.

6. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising end-members, said end-members being provided with perforations, and a connecting ridge-bar upon which the hide or skin is adapted tobe supported, and a stretching device mounted upon each end-member, each stretching device consisting of a pair of plate-like elements slidably disposed upon the opposite faces of said endmembers, a yoke-shaped like enlargement connected with each yokeshaped element, swivel-screws or bolts mounted in said nut-like enlargements,sa1d

swivehscrews or bolts extending into and through'the perforations in said end-members and being rotatablydisposed in said perforations, means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts to prevent displacement of the same from said perforations, and means connected with said swivelscrews or bolts for rotating the same.

7. A leather, hide or skin-drying and stretching frame comprising end-members, said end-members being provided with perforations, and a connecting ridge-bar upon which the hide or skin is adapted to be supported, and a stretching device mounted upon each endmember, each stretching device consisting of a pair of plate-like elements slidably disposed upon the opposite faces of said GHCl-IHGDlbQFS, a: yoke-shaped element connected with each pair of said plate-like elements, a screw-threaded nutlike enlargement connected with each yoke-' shaped element, swivel-screws or bolts mounted in said nut-like enlargement, said swivel-screws or bolt-s extending into and through the perforations in said end-members and being rotatably disposed in said perforations, means connected with said swivel-screws or bolts to prevent displacement of the same from said perforations, and means connected with said swivelscrews or bolts for rotating the same, combined with a main stretching member slida ably connected with the free end-portions of the said end-members.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand a this 2nd day of February, 1916.

PETER J. DUNN.

W'itn esses FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FRED H. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. i 

